Finca – Head to Finca this Friday, December 4th and take a breather from the holiday chaos. Scott Evans welcomes Kent Fortner (Road 31, Tricycle Wines and Mare Island Brewery) and invites others to join them as they savor several of Fortner’s creations; Fortner by the way – the first ever wine maker hosted by Pago way back when fact fans. If you need any convincing to stop, take stock and smell the, er, wine – Evans sums up these events nicely:
Tucked into one of our lush and cozy private dining rooms, we make a limited number of seats available, and prepare a stunning, multi-course tasting menu that highlights the wine pairings. Platters of food are passed around the table, family style. Like an old friend, the winemaker tells a few stories of his wines/winemaking adventures, which makes you appreciate the wine even more after hearing them. Glasses are topped off throughout the night. And for one blissful evening, you can sit back, slow down, and relax over easy conversations.
The menu for this evening of is suitably soothing:
* Roasted carrot soup, pickled carrot
* Mare Island Brewing Co. Saginaw Golden ale
* Seared cauliflower, salsa verde, spiced almond almond hummus
* Poseidon 2014 Chardonnay
* Pork cheeks, tasting of sunchokes, sherry glazed parsnips
* Road 31 2013, Pinot Noir
* Duck, butternut squash, cherry hoisin sauce, crisp kale
* Obsidian Ridge 2012, Cabernet
* Chocolate verrine
* Coffee
The meal begins at 6:30 PM and cost is $35 for food and $35 for the wine pairings.
327 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 487-0699
www.fincaslc.com
The LaSalle and Trio Restaurant Groups – Following on from their recent cider festival, the two groups are also in on the seasonal cheer. Their inaugural Sparking Wine Festival kicks off this Thursday, December 3rd.
Beverage director Jim Santangelo has selected some of the finest sparkling wines from around the world that will be paired with each chef’s special winter delicacies. These will be available from Dec. 3 through the end of January 2016 and prices will vary by restaurant. In the mood for Prosecco? Oasis Café and Fresco Italian Café have you covered. Hankering for a crisp Cava, then Caffe Niche comes to the rescue. Have Brut Rosé on the mind? Head straight to Café Trio Downtown or Cottonwood. And, of course, get your oysters and bubbles on at either Current Fish & Oyster or Under Current Bar.
“A bottle of bubbles will make any occasion a celebration!” says Santangelo. “Sparkling wine is always a home run with food pairing. In fact, I’ve paired sparkling wines with each course throughout the meal. It’s very versatile….and tasty!”
Participating restaurants include: Current Fish & Oyster, Under Current Bar, Fresco Italian Café, Café Trio Cottonwood, Café Trio Downtown, Oasis Café and Caffé Niche.
We’ll have some finer details on those finer bubbles for you next week.
Meditrina – There’s even morrrrrre holiday fun (Christmas grinches should just tune out out for the next month…) over at Meditrina next week, as the restaurant brings back their always popular wine social event.
A guest wine broker will be on hand to discuss what are sure to be some excellent holiday-themed wines – 4 to be precise. The event is Wednesday, December 9 from 6:30-8 and is limited to just 40 guests. The cost is just $25 for food and $25 for wine.
Extra tip: the restaurant has a 15% gift card bonus right now. For every $100 purchased in gift certificates now through the end of the year, you will receive a bonus $15. Perfect for that foodie in your life this Christmas.
1394 West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
(801) 485-2055
www.meditrinaslc.com
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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